Scoop Coater issues

[Gilligan]

So, as most know I've had problems coating screens.

Went to Alan's and had less problems... get back home and it's worse.

Start looking at it and my scoop coater has a "gap" between end caps and edge... one that you can ALMOST pass two business cards under.

I ask Alan to check his and no gap.  I go by my buddy's shop (that repo I did) and he has two coaters sitting on his shelf and neither of those have gaps.  So I assume I just got a bunk coater.

I call up Reese and order my new bucket of emulsion and a new scoop coater and I specifically told the guy "Make sure it doesn't have a gap" and explained my problem and blah blah blah basically he's almost cutting me off telling me "yeah yeah yeah... I'll check it".  Delivery guy comes in just now and I popped open the FACTORY stapled box and pull out the coater and it's IDENTICAL to what I have now.

So I send it back and that guy SAYS he will check out all the other ones on the shelf and if he finds a "good one" he will get it to me.

So, is this just something that Melray (manufacture) is doing on all their coaters and do some people like that, is it that if you coat fast enough that it doesn't become a problem (I know if I coat really fast it's less of an issue) another buddy of mine has a melray coater (I'm pretty sure) and he doesn't have issues... BUT he coats 1:1 and has basically ZERO EOM.  That would of course be a reason why he can get away with the gap (assuming there is one on his coater).

What does everyone else think?

[Homer]

AWT, now move on to the next issue and make some money

http://www.mclogan.com/shop/awt-scoopcoater-p-140-c-36_100.html

[Gilligan]

Thanks Homer... this might be redundant, but I assume the edges of this guy sit flush right?

[Denis Kolar]

AWT is a great one. I do not have issues.

[Prosperi-Tees]

Does the AWT sit flat on the table. That is what annoys the crap out of me on most scoops.

[IntegrityShirts]

A.W.T. = solution but get the double edged so you have a rounded edge for laying down the juice!

http://shop.poconoscreen.com/Pro-Angle-Scoop-Coater-2--18_p_1007.html

[Denis Kolar]

http://techsupportsps.com/store/supplies/scoop-coaters/awt-pro-angle-2-scoop-coater.html

Tech Support has them too.
I have single side, 2 sided would be much better.

[ScreenFoo]

I'd take some sandpaper and make it perfect--I've only used a dozen or so scoopcoaters, but they never seem to be perfect out of the box, or from the finisher.  A place that actually cuts and fits them should make it pretty close,  but I've had to screw around a bit with them too. 
It's probably fear of the opposite that's influencing them to do this--If it's the edge that sticks out more than the caps, that's when it REALLY sucks.  I've lost a couple of screens that way...

I'm a Sefar/Tetko coater fan--they're tilted, but it seems like every other coater I've used that sits straight has smaller or nonexistent flanges on the bottom to hold--drives me nuts.
Is the AWT one like that as well?

[Gilligan]

Looking at getting this AWT coater (hear great things about the coater, but bad things about the company *shrug* ).

My question though... is with M3's could I get away with a 19" coater for more coverage? or am I pushing it too close to the edges at that point?

Right now I have a mix of MZX, M3's and good old 20x24 wood frames (hopefully these will come out of rotation soon).  So the bigger the better when it comes to coating the smaller frames as I have to coat them across vs up and down long ways.

*edit* Oh and I have a few 23x31 aluminums.

[aauusa]

I use a sefar from one stroke inks.  a little more $ but I have used the same 2 scoops for the last 12 years.  with no issues at all.

[stitches4815]

After reading this I checked my old cheap ass coater.  There was a sigh of relief when I saw that my coaters edge was in contact with the tabletop.  I never thought to check that.  I just automatically assumed everything should be ok.  Thanks for bringing this point up.

[Gilligan]

I've been fighting coating issues for MONTHS... luckily I don't print enough that it was REALLY driving me nuts... but it has been a huge source of frustration for me and my guy I'm trying to teach to print.

[alan802]

I knew that coater was the issue, that gap cannot be there.  If you can't get a good one let me know, I'll send you our spare that we never use.

[Frog]

Ya know, on most of those, the plastic caps merely press on to the aluminum channel, which is cut to size.
You could check for a cut not made flush, or something keeping it from seating into the end caps.

[Gilligan]

I really want to get an AWT... I just want to find one where I don't get raped on shipping.